


This mad, mad love makes you come running

by 1000lux



Category: American Gods (TV)
Genre: F/M, I have no idea if this ship has a name..., Regrets, Set in the future, but I'll just go by madlaura for now, laura is alive again, shadown and laura are back together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-16 23:11:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11262987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1000lux/pseuds/1000lux
Summary: Set somewhere in the future (I didn't watch the finale yet). Laura is alive again and back together with Shadow. Both her and Sweeney regret their decisions.





	This mad, mad love makes you come running

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own rights to either the book nor the TV show.
> 
> The title is from the Taylor Swift song that's also at the end and the beginning of the story, which inspired me to this story.
> 
> But, really, is there a ship name for those two? Ironically enough MadMoon would make sense here as well, but I see how that could lead to some confusion. xD

You say it's in the past  
And drive straight ahead  
You think I'm gonna hate you now  
'Cause you still don't know what I never said

I wish we could go back  
And remember what we were fighting for  
Wish you knew that  
I miss you too much to be mad anymore

You always knew how to push my buttons  
You give me everything and nothing   
This mad, mad love makes you come rushing 

(Taylor Swift - I wish you would)

***

She is the perfect wife. The one she'd promised herself to be if she got this second chance. All picked-fence and baking on the weekends.  
And it's as it's supposed to be. She's whole and healthy. And beautiful. And most of all not rotting from the inside. And the man who made her heart beat again is by her side.

Not that she couldn't still smell dirty roads, old shit and rot. Red hair. And a perpetually going gob.

*

And he shouldn't miss the days on the road, with a foul mouthed and even more foul-smelling mean little woman. He shouldn't regret all the things neither of them ever said, even though they were there. Even during the last 'bye ginger minge', before she turned around and left with Shadow.

And she's not Essie. She had never been. She is Laura. And that is enough. And that is enough to make him want to run after Shadow like he'd run after her about that coin.

But he doesn't.

*

Maybe it's this lifestyle that's just not for her. Maybe she's still getting used to all of this. But it feels like her heart is beating more dully these days. How is it that with her undead heart she seemed to be feeling more than she is right now?

*

She put milk on her window sill, that fucking bitch. Not at her and Shadow's pristine, beautiful, flowers-in-the-garden-and-at-the-weekend-we-have barbecues house but at a seedy motel she's staying at. Not that he doesn't always know where she is anyway.

And now he has to come.

There she leans against the wall in front of the motel, twisting a string of chewing gum around her finger with a bored expression. And he's not used yet, seeing her all in color, not artificial color this time, that is. They parted ways so fast, after having shared the same stinking, fly infested air for so long. 

"Hey, dead wife." There is a wistful smile on his face.

"Not dead anymore." she points out.

"No, I guess not."

"Got some change?" she asks, stretching out her palm, like there's no question she shall receive.

He lets a stream of coins fall into her palm, the rain of gold for a moment connecting them.

She pulls a package of smokes from the vending machine and lights one. She should probably look better after her health, but then again, you only live once or twice.

"My heart's beating again."

"So I would think."

"Wanna feel?"

"No thanks."

But she's already pressed his palms to her chest. And, yes, her heart is beating.

"What do you want, dead wife?"

She chews her lip, shaking some ashe off her cigarette.

"Your man not doing it for you anylonger?" Sweeney finally asks, exasperated by her silence. He pushes on, despite how glad he is to see her, awkwardness and everything. "If you need someone to fuck you, you could have an easier time than calling upon a leprechaun!"

She pulls her fist back for a punch, but he easily catches her hand, unlike in the past.

"Careful," he says. "You can't rip me to pieces anylonger."

"Yes I can."

Yes she can. 

They both know why they're here, even though she refuses to say it. Because she's an egoistic, thoughtless bitch (as he was well aware from the beginning) and he's unable to stay away from her. And not because of the milk on the window sill either. And there he was making fun about Shadow for taking her back.

"I stole a car," she says.

And that's really all there is to say.

They both get into the car and start driving.

***

2 A.M., here we are  
See your face  
Hear my voice in the dark  
We were a crooked love  
In a straight line down  
Makes you wanna run and hide  
But it made us turn right back around

(Taylor Swift - I wish you would)

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, well, this was intended to be longer, but then it turned out exactly as short as the last one.


End file.
